Clock



Jan. 22, 1952 ALEXANDER 2,583,037

CLOCK Filed Nov 13, 1947 INVENTOR.

Y 'WZZ QG Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES .PAT'ENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to clocks, particularly clocks of the type in which the hour numerals and the minute numerals-are mounted upon separate members rotatable about a common axis at a speed ratio of l to 12, the time being'indicated by 'a fixed index hand or pointer under which the rotatable members pass.

One of the obiectsof the invention is the provision of a clock of the character stated which shall be of simple construction involving a minimum number of parts, wherein the operating mechanism issconcealed by :a pair of rotating'cups turning about a vertical axis and embodying a stationary vertical post on which all parts are supported.

Another object is the provision of a clock of the character stated wherein the clock may be caused to face in any desired direction by turning the supporting post relative to its mounting.

A further object is the provision of means for luminating the index pointer and the clock numerals from within.

Other objects and features of novelty will .appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purpose of the present application, I have illustrated .in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the clock, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale, the section being taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing a stationary hollow post is illustrated at 10. It is supported at one end, preferably at the top as shown. For this purpose the upper end of the postmay be threaded to receive a nut ll, under which there is a collar 12 with an integral staple l2, by which the post may be suspended from a chain, a wall bracket or other suitable support, not shown. Collar 12 has a frictional bearing on post ill to prevent unintentional relative movement.

At an intermediate point in the length of the post It I attach thereto a housing H in which is carried the clock mechanism. This housin may include top and bottom plates i3 and (4 Joined at intervals by means including spacers .l 5 and one or more spacers .I 6 that are integral with a block I! through which a hole is bored of proper size to receive the post It), to which the block is secured by a setscrew l8.

This housing H carries a synchronous motor indicated at l9, which may be of conventional character and is caused to turn a small gear 20. The electrical conductor 12] for supplying current to motor it extends through registering holes in block l1 and post in and up through the post to a ervice line or other source of current.

In the housing plates l3 and I4 there is rotatably mounted a vertical shaft 22 which carries loosely a gear 23 that mesheswith gear 20. Gear 23 normally turns with shaft 22 because of a friction clutch consisting of 'a disk 24 pinned to the shaft and "spring fingers 25 secured to the shaft for pressing gear 23 against disk 24. On the upper and lower ends of shaft 22 outside the plates !3 and [4 there are gears 26 and 21. Gear 25 meshes with a large gear 28 which has a hub or sleeve 29 that surrounds and is rotatable upon .post Hi. It extends through around hole 30 in plate 1 3 and bears upon block I! through the intermediacy of a washer 3|. Gear 21 meshes with a'gear 32 whichhas a hub or sleeve 32' surrounding and rotatably mounted upon post Iii, the sleeve extending through a round hole 33 in 0 plate 14 and a washer 34 being interposed between the upper end of the sleeve and block ll. When gear 32 .is in place, it may be held against downward movement on the post by a spring ring 35 or other suitable means. The proportions of 5 the various :gears and their direction of rotation are such that gear 28 turns once for each twelve revolutions of gear 32, and the direction of rotation of both of these gears, as viewed from above, is clockwise.

The gears 28 and 32 are coupled by suitable means to upper and lower revolving members which I term an upper inverted cup and a lower cup, the rims of which meet substantially. These cups preferably have the outward appearance of hemispheres, the clock as a whole, therefore, be ing in the form of a globe or ball. Other sur" faces of revolution could be substituted, however, as will be be readilyapparent. The cups may be constructed in different ways, but I prefer to form each of them with a spider or frame rotatably mounted on the post it and an outer shell attached to the .rim of the spider.

The spiders S and S may be formed from duplicate castings or stampings having hollow hubs $8 and 38', disk portions 39 and 39, radiating arms 40 and 40 and continuous rims 4| and 41.

The disk portion 39 of the upper spider is machined to take the outer race of a ball bearing 42, the inner race of which rests upon a snap ring 43 set into a groove in post Iii. The hollow hub 33 is bored out axially to clear the post I 0. Drive is communicated to the spider by two. or more pins 44 set into the gear 28 and received in drilled holes 45 in the disk 39, thus forming a disconnectable coupling. The shell 45, shown as hemispherical in shape, is attached to the rim 4 I. At the top this shell is preferred and provided with a downturned flange 41 which is internally threaded to take a collar 48 which surrounds post Ill and forms a bearing for the rotating shell. Shell 46 may be constructed of metal, plastic, glass or other material. Near its rim it carries numerals l to l2 designating clock hours. In order to make it easy to tell time in the dark, the clock should be interiorly illuminated and the shell should be opaque and the numerals transparent or translucent, or the reverse should be true, that is, the shell should be transparent ortranslucent and the numerals opaque. This effect may be obtained, for example, by covering the internal or external surfaces of a transparent shell with an opaque coating, such as an internal coating 50, except for surfaces masked off to form the numerals.

The disk portion 39' of the lower spider S is provided with holes to receive pins 52 threaded into tapped holes in the gear 32, thereby proriding a second disconnectable coupling. In hollow hub 38' I mount a ball bearing 53 with an internal diameter to fit over post It). A second ball bearing 54 is interposed between the post and the hollow hub 38', being supported upon the post by a snap ring 55, while the snap ring 56 disposed in an annular groove in the hollow hub 38 supports the spider S upon the outer race of ball bearing 54.

In assembling the clock ball bearing 54 is slid onto hollow post In and the ring 55 pushed into place in its groove directly beneath the bearing. Bearing 53 is mounted in the hollow hub 38 of spider S, after which the spider is pushed up into place over bearing 54, and bearing 53 receives the lower end of the post. Snap ring 56 is now put in place and functions to support the spider upon the outer race of bearing 54. Next the snap ring 35 is mounted in its groove in post In and the gear 32 is slipped down over the upper end of the post until its pins 52 are received n holes 51 and the gear rests upon ring 35. housing H with the motor and clock gears assembled therein may now he slipped down over the upper end of post ID until the block I? engages washer 34 with gear 21 meshing with gear 32. Setscrew I8 is then tightened to prevent housing H from turning upon the post. Gear 28 is now dropped into place and into mesh with gear 26. Spring ring 43 is now mounted in its groove in the post, after which the upper spider S is slipped over the upper end of the post and down into position to cause its holes 45 to receive the pins 44 on the gear 28 and the inner race of bearing 42 to rest upon ring 43.

The lower shell 60, which may have an opaque coating 6| similar to coating 50, can now be assembled upon ring 4| which may have an annular rabbet to recevie the edge of the shell, and a screw 62 projected through a hole in shell 60 is threaded into a boss 53 on the spider S, the head of screw 62 being adapted to support the shell or to assist in its support.

A bracket 65 carrying an electric bulb 66 and provided with a clamping screw 6'! may now be attached to post It above spider S. The electric conductor 2! is now threaded down through the hollow post and through a lateral opening there in for connection with the motor I9. A branch line 61 is also taken out througha lateral opening in the post and joined with the base connection of lamp 6B. The shell 48 may now be put The a 4 in place and attached to the rim 4| by suitable means.

A washer 68 is now dropped over the post, and above it is mounted the enlarged hub 59 of an index hand or pointer 10. This hand is formed preferably of Lucite or similar plastic material capable of transmitting light. In the hub 69 I form a pocket H for the reception of an electric bulb 12 connected by a branch conductor 13 with main conductor 2 I. The enlargement 55 is preferably covered by a metal cap 14, and a setscrew 15 through cap 14 and hub 69 serves to fix the index hand upon the post. Collar l2 may then be slipped over the exposed and of post it] and the nut II turned down with a spanner wrench so that the bail 12' can be used for the support of the clock by means of a chain, a bracket or other supporting means.

By the use of the clock time can be read in the darkness easily, as the transparent or translucent hour and minute numbers are illuminated from within by lamp 66 and the index hand it! glows down to its extremity because of its transmission of light from the lamp [2.

When the clock is mounted upon a support it may be faced at any angle desired by turning the index hand to the desired position. The post being fixed to hand 7!] turns with the latter within the collar I 2 and carries with it all of the clock mechanism without affecting the setting of the hour and minute shells. Whenever it is n eces sary to set the time the operator turns the shell 60 by hand, gear 32, driving gear 21 which functions through shaft 22 to drive gears 28 and to transmit rotation to the upper shell 46 at the ratio of 12 to 1. Gear 23 and the small gear 28 which meshes therewith may stand still durin th setting operation, since the friction clutch 24, 25 permits shaft 22 to turn within gear 23.

While in the illustrated embodiment post it is supported at its upper end, it will be appreciated that the whole device may be inverted and the post mounted at its lower end.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a clock, a vertical post, a support therefor at one end thereof, clock mechanism fixed to said post, a lower cup and an upper inverted cup rotatably mounted upon and supported by said post with the cup rims substantially meeting, said clock mechanism being enclosed by said cups, driving means surrounding and rotatably mounted upon said post and actuated by said clocl: mechanism for turning one of said cups, and driving means also surrounding and rotatably mounted upon said post and actuated by said clock mechanism for turning the other of said cups at a different speed.

2. In a clock, a vertical post, supporting means therefor at one end thereof, clock mechanism fixed to said post at an intermediate point thereof, a lower cup and an upper inverted cup rotatably mounted upon and supported by said post with the cup rims substantially meeting, driving means projecting downwardly from said clock mechanism for turning said lower cup and driving means projecting upwardly from said clock mechanism for turning said upper inverted cup, one of said driving means including a coupling the elements of which are adapted to be brought into engagement by movement of the corresponding cup toward said clock mechanism.

3. In a clock, a vertical post, supportin means therefore at one end thereof, clock mechanism fixed to said post at an intermediate point thereof, a lower cup and an upper inverted cup rotatably mounted upon and supported by said post with the cup rims substantially meeting, driving means projecting downwardly from said clock mechanism for turning said lower cup and driving means projecting upwardly from said clock mechanism for turning said upper inverted cup, said driving means for the lower cup comprising a lower coupling the elements of which are adapted to be brought into engagement by downward movement of said clock mechanism relative to the lower cup, and said driving means for the upper cup comprising an upper coupling, the elements of which are adapted to be brought into engagement by downward movement of said upper cup.

4. In a clock, a non-rotating vertical post, supporting means therefor at one end thereof, clock mechanism comprising a housing surrounding said post and secured thereto intermediate the ends of the post, a lower cup and an upper inverted cup rotatably mounted upon and supported by said post with the cup rims substantially meeting, said cups enclosing said clock mechanism, driving means for said cups comprising sleeves surrounding said post and projecting through the top and bottom portions of said housing, said sleeves being driven by said clock mechanism at a speed ratio of l to 12, and pin and socket coupling means for connecting together in drivin relation one of said sleeves with one of said cups and the other of said sleeves with the other of said cups.

5. A clock as defined in claim 1, comprising an index pointer the butt end of which surrounds and is fixed upon said post exteriorly of one of said cups, said post being angularly adjustable in said support, whereby the clock may be caused to face in different directions while said support remains fixed.

6. In a clock, a vertical post, supporting means therefor at one end thereof, clock mechanism fixed to said post at an intermediate point thereof, a lower cup and an upper inverted cup rotatably mounted upon and supported by said post with the cup rims substantially meeting, driving means for said cups comprising a lower coupling the elements of which are adapted to be brought into engagement by downward movement of said clock mechanism relative to the lower cup and comprising an upper coupling the elements of which are adapted to be brought into engagement by downward movement of said upper cup, and snap rings mounted on said post for supporting individually said clock mechanism and each of said cups.

ARTHUR F. ALEXANDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 664,289 Ramage Dec. 18, 1900 848,547 Hadley Mar. 26, 1907 1,152,904 Ramage Sept. '7, 1915 1,513,582 Comfort Oct. 28, 1924 2,290,278 Failla July 21, 1942 2,314,269 Dupler Mar. 16, 1943 

